System and methods to store, retrieve, manage, augment and monitor applications on appliances

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for managing applications on an appliance are provided. A server is in communication with appliances. The server is also coupled to databases which include appliance information, as well as application data. A user may authenticate using the appliance. A set of permissions may be associated with the user. The server then supervises information exchanged between the appliance and the server, as well as application functionality upon the appliance, by supplementing the applications downloaded to the appliance with supplemental code, referred to hereafter as an AppGuard. The AppGuard is tailored, using information related to the appliance, to the appliance type in order to ensure proper functionality. The AppGuard is executed upon installation, and collects device information for validation. After validation, the application may be run. Additionally, management of the applications may include augmenting, deleting, disabling or authorizing the application.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation under 35 U.S.C. §120 of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/876,214, filed Sep. 6, 2010, which claims thebenefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/276,129, filedSep. 8, 2009, and entitled “Method and System to Store, Retrieve,Manage, Functionally Augment and Monitor Applications for MobileDevices.” The entire contents of each of these applications are herebyincorporated in full by reference.

Further, the entire contents of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/032,093, filed Feb. 15, 2008, and entitled “Methods and System toCreate Applications and Distribute Applications to a Remote Device” arehereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the management of applications on anappliance. More specifically the invention relates to controlling theuse of applications on appliances such as mobile devices according topermissions set on an external server system. The appliance, in someembodiments, may be subservient to the server.

The rapid growth in the availability and deployment of mobile applianceshas facilitated remote working. From ultra-portable laptop computers tosmart-phones, there is a need for portability of the conventionalworkplace for office workers and workers who must travel. Currently,there are two ways that a mobile appliance may be enabled for remoteworking. In the first case, applications are run remotely and the userenjoys the use of the application through a connected session. Thisusually involves a browser, or some application-specific equivalent,that offers the user the same user interaction and experience, withinthe limitations of the device, as are normally achieved when connectedin an office environment at a desktop computer. A session based solutionsuffers from the inconvenience and technical challenge that a connectionmust be secured and the appliance remains connected throughout thesession. In a truly mobile environment, the data connection is oftendifficult because of network limitations and uncertain signal quality.

The second way a mobile appliance may be enabled for remote working isfor the application in use to be physically resident and enabled on theappliance (i.e., stored locally on the appliance). This solution has astrong advantage in that it permits a user to work with the applicationlocally without the need for a sustained connection. To implement thissecond solution requires that the applications be downloaded to theappliance and then enabled. Applications for mobile devices may alreadybe stored and retrieved from application repositories and delivered tomobile appliances using a wireless network. Such examples can be foundwith Apple's AppStore for the iPhone and the RIM Blackberry family ofproducts.

There are significant drawbacks to locally stored applications on anappliance. For example, it has a serious disadvantage in that storedlocal information is not secure, and corporate intellectual property, orother sensitive information, may be compromised by its exposure. Accessto sensitive information is not easily controlled, and the risks oftheft damaging a company are very high.

Hence there is a need for a system to manage applications on anappliance without requiring constant connectivity, and further withoutcompromising security of the application and/or confidentialinformation. Such a system may manage applications by individuallyapproving them for execution, functionally augmenting them by addingvalidity checking and user confirmation, and monitoring them forpermitted networks and connection targets. In some embodiments,applications may be restricted from access to locally stored persistentdata or the data may itself be removed.

In view of the foregoing, systems and methods for managing applicationson an appliance are disclosed. The present invention provides a novelsystem for securely regulating information exchange on an appliance,without requiring a constant connection between the appliance and anexternal server.

SUMMARY

The present invention discloses a system and method for managingapplications on an appliance. More particularly, the present inventionteaches systems and methods for securely regulating informationexchanges on an appliance without requiring a persistent connection tocompany resources.

In some embodiments, a server is in communication with one or moreappliances. The appliances are typically mobile devices, such ascellular phones; however, any suitable electronic device is consideredwithin the scope of the invention. The server is coupled to one or moredatabases which include device information as well as an applicationdatabase.

A user may authenticate using the appliance. A set of permissions may beassociated with the user. The server then supervises informationexchanged between the appliance and the server, as well as applicationfunctionality on the appliance. The server may likewise be enabled torecord transactions of any information exchange with the appliance.Generally, the appliance is subservient to the server.

Control over application functionality and information exchange may beaccomplished, in some embodiments, by supplementing the applicationsdownloaded to the appliance with supplemental code, referred tohereafter as an AppGuard. The AppGuard is tailored, using informationrelated to the appliance, to the appliance type in order to ensureproper functionality.

In some embodiments, the user searches for applications using a webbased platform. An arbitrary keyword matching system may be utilized tofind applications of interest. Only applications that the user hasauthority to use are generally presented to the user. The user may thendownload the application from the server to the appliance. In someembodiment, the server first adds the supplemental AppGuard to ensuremanagement of the application. In some alternate embodiments a developermay directly add the supplemental AppGuard to the application prior touploading to the server. Once downloaded, the AppGuard is executed uponinstallation. The AppGuard may collect device information. The AppGuardmay require validation from the server prior to installation. Validationof permissions may utilize the collected data. After validation, theapplication may be run.

Additionally, further functionalities may be included within theapplication using the AppGuard. For example, if the appliance is lost,the user may be able to notify the server that the appliance has beenmisplaced. The AppGuard may then disable the application in order tolimit release of any sensitive information. Likewise, the server may beenabled to collect information regarding the appliance's environment andbase management decisions upon environmental indicators. An example ofthis includes where the appliance determines if it is in the presence ofcertain devices, such as a particular Bluetooth headset.

Management of the applications may include augmenting, deleting,disabling or authorizing the application. Augmentation, for the purposesof this application, includes any functional modification to theapplication. In addition to application management, the server may also,in some embodiments, be enabled to disable the appliance itself. Forexample, if permission validation fails, the AppGuard may prevent theusage of an application, or may even purge the persistent memory of theapplication.

Note that the various features of the embodiments described above may bepracticed alone or in combination. These and other features ofembodiments of the present invention will be described in more detailbelow in the detailed description of the invention and in conjunctionwith the following figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by wayof limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in whichlike reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:

FIG. 1 is an example diagram of the application management system inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2A is an example flowchart for the management of applicationswithin an appliance in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2B is an example flowchart for providing an application to theappliance in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an example flow diagram of the transactional steps completedbetween the appliance and a server in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 4A is an example flowchart for the server side process fordeploying an application to the appliance in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4B is an example flowchart for supplementing the application withAppGuard in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 5A-5D are example screenshots for a web based applicationmanagement interface in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 6 is an example illustration of the operation of the applicationmanagement system on a mobile device in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention.

In the drawings, like reference numerals are sometimes used to designatelike structural elements. It should also be appreciated that thedepictions in the figures are diagrammatic and not to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN INVENTIVE EMBODIMENTS I. SystemFramework

To facilitate discussion, FIG. 1 is an example illustration 100 of theapplication management system in accordance with some embodiments. Herea User 110 is seen interacting with an Appliance 120. Here the Appliance120 is illustrated as being a smart cell phone type device, such as aBlackberry. However, as previously noted, any type of electronicappliance capable of supporting an application may be utilized with theapplication management system.

The Appliance 120 may be in periodic wireless connectivity with aCellular Tower 130 Likewise, in some embodiments, the Appliance 120 mayinstead be configured to have connectivity through a WiFi base station,satellite connection, or even wired connection such as through a modem.

The Cellular Tower 130 may be coupled to a back end Server 140. TheServer 140, in some embodiments, may be an independent third partysystem accessible by developers, IT professionals and end users via aweb based portal or other host platform. The Server 140 may requireauthentication prior to access. In some alternate embodiments, theServer 140 may be an internal corporate server, only accessible byauthorized corporate personnel.

The Server 140 may have access to a number of databases. These mayinclude an Application Database 150 and one or more Management Databases160. The Application Database 150 may include source code for any numberof applications. These applications may include commercially availableapplications, such as Microsoft Office products, or may be internallydeveloped, or modified, applications. The Management Databases 160, incomparison, may include information on particular devices, userinformation, and corporate access permissions.

As previously noted, existing application storage marketplaces exist. Inthese marketplaces completed applications are developed externally andstored prior to distribution. The iPhone AppStore is a clear example ofexternally developed applications marketplace. In some embodiments, theServer 140 may function in a similar fashion. In such embodiments, theapplications may be externally developed and subsequently uploaded tovia the Server 140 to the Application Database 150. Permissions may thenbe configured within Management Databases 160.

Additionally, in alternate systems, applications may be designed in andupdated from a web browser based environment. U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/032,093, published as U.S. 2008/0201453, which isincorporated by reference, is an example of such a web based developmentplatform. In some embodiments, the Server 140 may be accessed by adeveloper via a web based browser in such a manner for the developmentof applications. These applications may then be managed, functionallyaugmented, and monitored by the application management system describedherein.

In some embodiments, applications which have been created and modifiedin the aforesaid web browser based design environment (for example,Ondeego's Cell Author product) may be changed and these changes to anexisting application may then be automatically propagated to devices onwhich they have been already installed. In the case of an applicationserver whose stored applications comprise more than one “CellAuthor” orexternally sourced application, one or more related programs may beautomatically included. When more than one application is available, therelated programs may comprise programs that allow selection of one ormore applications and, further, programs that permit relatedapplications to share common data. This latter feature eliminateswasteful duplication of information which is a significant deficiency ofseparate, stand-alone applications.

Applications generally comprise one or more machine or computerinstructions for causing an appliance to perform certain actions. Theseapplications may be distributed in an application marketplace using anapplication Server 140 which may have stored one or more applications asdiscussed above.

Applications may be uploaded to the Server 140 by authenticatedproviders (i.e., developers). Authentication may be achieved by any of anumber of methods well known in the art. For example a simplechallenge-response method may require a user to enter a valid passwordprior to the connection permission being set to allow such uploadactions.

II. Application Management

FIG. 2A provides an example flow chart of the process for thedistribution and management of applications. In this example process,the Server 140 provides one or more applications to the Appliance 120 atstep 202. A check for permission to access the application is performedat step 204. An invalid permission may result in the deletion ofpersistent data within the Appliance 120, at step 212. In such a manner,sensitive or confidential information may remain secure in the situationwhere the Appliance 120 is stolen or in the possession of a User 110without permission to access the particular application/information.

On the other hand, a valid permission enables the User 110 to access/runthe application at step 206. This continues until, at step 208, theapplication is terminated. After termination of the application, aninitial default message may be displayed, at step 210. This defaultmessage may include the dashboard for the Appliance 120, a web browserpage, advertisement, personalized message or similar display.

FIG. 2B provides an example of a more detailed process flow forproviding the application(s) from the Server 140 to the Appliance 120,as indicated at step 202. In this process, the User 110 initiates asession, at step 214. A session may include access through a web browserportal, or access through a secure program interface.

The user may typically be authenticated in the same manner that thedeveloper required authentication, at step 216. Note, however, thatwhile authentication is being discussed at this point in the process, itis equally possible that authentication may be performed at a latertime. For example, in some embodiments, the application may be installedprior to authentication without any ill effect. Typically a corporationmay provide an authentication key to its employees; single users mayhave a private arrangement for downloading and use of an application.

Various users may, in some embodiments, have different levels ofaccessibility, as indicated by profile permissions stored within theManagement Databases 160. For example, End Users 110 may only have theability to download particular applications based upon rank and divisionwithin a company. For example, a sales professional within Corporation Amay be restricted to general clerical applications and proprietarynegotiation applications exclusive to Company A. In contrast, high levelengineers within the same company may have access to a whitepaper viewerpertaining to detailed technical documents about the products of thecompany.

Developer users may have additional permissions including the ability toupload/generate applications. Likewise, high level developers mayfurther have the ability to access existing applications and furthermodify them to meet particular purposes.

IT management users may have permissions relating to setting thepermissions of other users. For example, an IT manager may be empoweredto select which end users are capable of downloading particularapplications.

After the end User 110 authenticates, the process may continue to step218 where the User 110 may search for an application. To facilitatethis, the server may provide a search utility that allows a user tolocate the application desired by one or more of a number of attributes.For example an application may be located by name or, for a corporateuser, by searching the name or identification code of the corporation.Search results may be presented as a list of available applications fordownload. An application may then be selected and downloaded at step220. When an application is prepared for downloading, the server mayfirst acquire information about the mobile client to which theapplication is destined. This may be in any of a number of ways known inthe art. For example, the authorizing corporation may have set a flagindicating which type of appliance the target is, such as an iPhone or aSymbian OS based product.

As will be discussed in more detail below, once the informationregarding the appliance is known, the application may be downloaded witha security component or wrapper, known as AppGuard, affixed to theapplication. AppGuard may supplement the application in order to ensurefuture management of the application once locally installed on theAppliance 120. AppGuard may contain information needed by the targetdevice to install the application. AppGuard may simply be a program, orseries of instructions, that allow the application to operatesuccessfully in the target appliance. In some embodiments, an AppGuardnormally comprises source code that has been compiled into executablecode matching the requirements of the target device. Target deviceplatforms include, but are not limited to, J2ME, Windows Mobile,Android, iPhone, and LiMo. To add an AppGuard to an application, forinstance in the case of J2ME, the AppGuard classes maybe added to thejar (Java ARchive) tile, the midlet entry point in the manifest changedto point to the wrapper itself, which, when executed, performsinitialization and check actions, and then continues to execute theoriginal application midlet. A midlet is a Java application frameworkfor a Mobile Information Device profile, and midlets are normallyapplications themselves. Signed applications may require a new signaturekey to be applied by the Server 140. The AppGuard may add actions, forinstance, at startup, when the midlet is paused or when the applicationis terminated.

At step 222, the application with AppGuard is installed upon theAppliance 120. The User 110 may see and respond to information,resulting from the action of the AppGuard, presented at the time ofinstallation of the application. Such information may be delivered in auser friendly fashion to automate the process and minimize the need forexpertise on the part of the user 110. Use cases include data gathering,information bulletins, device status control and advice, and othermanagement or supervisory functions. These supplemental programs areoften referred to as installation wizards, or launch pads, and may allowsome residual functionality to remain after the installation process hascompleted. This residue may be invoked later when other interactions arerequired from a user. For example, a failed permission request at alater date may result in the application itself being denied access tolocal persistent data. The data may have been eliminated from theappliance, may have been locked, or the application itself may have beenlocked. In order to better manage the failed state of the appliance atthat point, the residual function may comprise displaying to the user aninteractive alert screen which may take the form of a help screen, aquestionnaire or an advertisement inviting the user to consider otheroffers for services.

The AppGuard may collect and report data regarding the Appliance 120 tothe Server 140, at step 224. This collected data may be utilized by theServer 140 to determine if the User 110 may receive permission to accessthe underlying Application. Thus, at step 226, AppGuard may receivepermission data from the Server 140. AppGuard may then display anauxiliary screen or other message, at step 228, and start theapplication, at step 230. The application may be started as originallydesigned, or may be started in a modified manner. For example, insteadof starting Excel in a blank document, as the original application does,an AppGuard supplemented Excel application may be started by opening themost recent price listings for a given product line for the company thatthe user is affiliated with.

In another example, opening an HTTP connection may cause it to bererouted by changing its method name. Every time an HTTP connection isinitiated, some server action may be imposed. Its destination may berecorded, or a secure protocol may replace an unencrypted protocol. Thismay be achieved in one or more ways. The existing application code maybe decompiled, new source code added and then the composite coderecompiled, in some embodiments. In some cases, new or replacementbinary code may be directly injected into the application without thesteps of decompilation and recompilation.

In yet another example, the AppGuard may augment online versus offlinefunctionality of the application. For example, the AppGuard may allowthe user to access the application some set number of times with apassword. When the allowable uses have been exceeded, the applicationmay then be disabled for further use unless the session is online andauthenticated. Likewise, the AppGuard may merely restrict some of thedata (i.e., particular Excel spreadsheets) in a similar manner.

Additionally, AppGuard may be likewise utilized to enforce user actions,such as installation of updates. For example, if a mandatory update isreceived, the AppGuard may display a message requiring its installation.If the user does not perform the necessary action, the application maybe forced to exit or otherwise be disabled.

Additionally, at step 232, AppGuard may display informative messages, asdesired. This may include advertisements, offers for service improvementupgrades, thank-you pages, or customer service outreach.

In addition to the application marketplace, which contains individualapplications, user Appliance 120 may also be managed in someembodiments. The Server 140 may be a single server or may have multipleinstances or replicas in accordance with methods known in the art.Servers may maintain a record of all transactions within the ManagementDatabases 160. These may include properties of target appliances,applications already accessed by any appliance, appliance approvalstatus and information that allows a device or application lock to beactuated. Users may be authenticated prior to, during or afterinstallation, or any combination of these. Authentication informationmay be used to qualify a user for one or more roles. For example, a usermay be one or more of a device and application User 110, an applicationapprover (i.e., IT manager), or be permitted to upload applications(i.e., developer).

Proceeding now to FIG. 3, a process flow diagram is providedillustrating the typical operating sequence of some embodiments of thesystem. Additionally, arrows are illustrated indicating flow ofinformation between the Appliance 120 client device and the Server 140.In this example sequence a browser is first invoked. The Appliance 120communicates with the Server 140 that a session has been initiated, andthe Server 140 may return information including a logon screen or thelike. Next the user may be authenticated, as discussed above. Again theAppliance 120 and Server 140 interact to ensure authentication.

The User 110 may search the applications using a browser, searchfunction or the like. Again the Appliance 120 and Server 140 requirecommunication such that only applications that the User 110 haspermission to use are displayed as available applications. Theapplication with AppGuard wrapper may then be downloaded to theAppliance 120 from the Server 140.

The User 110 may then start the AppGuard supplemented application. Thisstep is restricted to the Appliance 120 and does not require informationfrom the Server 140. The AppGuard collects information and transmits itback to the Server 140. The Server 140 may then return permission to theAppliance 120.

Next, the AppGuard supplement may display an auxiliary screen, such asan installation wizard. If permission is valid, the application may berun. If permissions are invalid, persistent data may be killed (disabledor deleted). This, functionally, protects information a companyconsiders confidential from access by non-permissible persons. Displayof auxiliary screens, running of the application or deletion/disablingof persistent data may be performed on the Appliance 120 without furtherinput from the Server 140.

Next, if no further local data is present, then advertisements or othermessages may be displayed on the Appliance 120. Content for thesemessages may be provided by the Server 140. The AppGuard may then startthe application in an original or modified form without any furtherinteraction with the Server 140.

The application running on the Appliance 120 may interact with theServer 140. Once completed, the application terminates and then adefault screen may be displayed. The default screen may include aninitial browser screen.

III. Server Side Operation

The discussion will now be directed to FIG. 4A which illustrates anembodiment of the server side operation of the application managementsystem. This process begins with the receipt of a user authentication,at step 410. As previously noted, user credentials may be stored withinone or more databases which the Server 140 may access. Authenticationmay be performed by a challenge and response or other knownauthentication scheme. After authentication, the Server 140 may receivean application request from the Appliance 120, at step 420.

An application request may include any of a search request, or a requestto download a particular application. When the Server 140 receives asearch request, the permissions of the User 110 may be queried such thatonly applications the user has permission to access are displayed inresponse to the search. Likewise, applications may only be selected fordownload if the user has permission to access the particularapplication.

After a download request is received, the Server 140 may acquireinformation regarding the Appliance 120, at step 430. This may includeaccessing information stored about the device on the management Database160, or may include sending an information request to the Appliance 120directly. Information regarding the appliance may be utilized in orderto ensure the AppGuard supplement is capable of executing on the targetAppliance 120, as well as ensuring that the application will function onthe Appliance 120.

At step 440 the application is supplemented with an AppGuard. FIG. 4Billustrates an example of a more detailed flow chart for thesupplementing of the application with an AppGuard, as indicated at step440. In this sub-process, the appropriate AppGuard source code isselected, at step 442. The source code may be compiled into executablecode matching the requirements of the target Appliance 120, at step 444.Lastly, the executable code may be affixed to the application at step446. Returning to FIG. 4A, after supplementing the application, it maybe deployed to the Appliance 120, at step 450.

Once the deployed application is downloaded and installed on theAppliance 120, further communication between the Appliance 120 and theServer 140 may occur. For example, changes in the environment of theAppliance 120 may trigger a communication between the Appliance 120 andthe Server 140. For example, if the Appliance 120 crosses aninternational border, and the user doesn't have authority to useparticular applications outside of the U.S. border, an exchange betweenthe Appliance 120 and Server 140 may be initiated. In such cases, therelevant applications may be disabled, or even deleted, in order toensure corporate interests are being properly protected.

IV. Examples

Examples of the application management system and methods will now beprovided. Note that these examples are intended to be illustrative, andare not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

In some example embodiment, an existing email reader application for iOSmobile devices may be augmented by the original vendor using an AppGuardsupplement. The original vendor's developer must, in some embodiment,download the iOS AppGuard supplement and incorporate the supplement intothe existing email reader applications. The developer may then makeminor modifications to the original application and rebuild theaugmented application using an Apple-issues cryptographic keys toproduce a final augmented binary. The application becomes augmented withadditional functionalities using an AppGuard supplement; in this example“approve individual application” and “lock device” could be the extendedcapabilities. A user with the up-loader permission role (Developer) mayenter the augmented application binary into one or more Server 140 usinga web browser. Upon application execution on the Appliance 120, the codecontained by the AppGuard causes the appliance to contact the server andverifies the status of both the example properties. Only the augmentedcode needs to be stored by the server. A user with an approving role (ITmanager) may now label the application as generally executable for anyor all devices. A subsequent download by another ordinary User 110 wouldnow result in the augmented version of the application being loaded onthat user's Appliance 120 and subsequent access to the capabilitiesendowed by the application. Apart of the process, an approver mightchoose to disable this application only for certain users, leaving onlya subset of the user community with working access. This might happen atany time, for example to restrict data changes during an audit period orto control account information for management purposes. If a User 110loses control of the appliance (such as when stolen or misplaced), theuser may contact the server using a browser session and may cause theappliance to be disapproved for further use. This may result in theappliance being locked or the appliance being constrained in some way.In some implementations, the application may be simply disabled and mayno longer be invoked. In another implementation, local data may belocked or permanently eliminated from the appliance and access to theserver may be prohibited.

In an alternate example of some implementation, the appliance may reportits environmental status and this data may be used by the appliance orthe server to determine if the appliance is still in control of theuser. Location sensitive technologies may be used for this purpose.However, for a traveling user the changes in location generallyintroduce confusion. A better method may be to consider the user's localenvironment as a key, for example the user's Bluetooth headset or othernormally present components may be required to be active before theapplication can be enabled. In this case, the application wrapper mayinvoke a function which determines the appliance's supplementaryenvironment and uses this as a key to assure the security of theappliance.

Continuing to an additional example, FIGS. 5A-5D are example screenshotsfor an embodiment of the web based application management interface inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Particularly,FIG. 5A illustrates a typical User's 110 application marketplace. Here alisting of their applications may be seen, along with most popularsuggestions and browsing links. Additionally, a search field may be seenfor keyword searches for a particular application. The user may logout,select from the company catalog, make requests to IT management ormanage the account.

In a similar vein, FIG. 5B illustrates the web based interface for an ITmanager interface. Here the IT manager is able to select users andactively manage the permissions for the user. A summary of all useraccounts may be seen including the ability to add additional users.Requests from individual users may be reviewed and approved or declined.A user may be selected from the user summary list and be viewed ingreater detail as seen at FIG. 5C. Here, usage may be monitored,permissions set and applications may be approved for use.

FIG. 5D illustrates an interface where an IT manager is able to reviewand test applications from the marketplace prior to performing a bulkpurchase of the application and placing it within the company store. Inthis screen, a selected application is presented including adescription, device support, pricing and status. The IT manager has theoption of testing prior to adding the application to the companycatalog, or denying the submission.

FIG. 6 is an example illustration of the operation of the same browserbased interface being accessed on a mobile device in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention. A series of example screenshots areprovided, beginning at screenshot 610 with the web application beingdistributed by email and downloading. A link to execute the program isplaced upon the phone home screen. At screenshot 620 the web browser islaunched and a logon/authentication screen is displayed. The user mustthen logon with a password. Screenshot 630 illustrates searching forapplications using different browsing modes or by search terms.Screenshot 640 illustrates that an application has been selected andindicates the price the download may cost the particular departmentwithin the company. Once satisfied with the selection, the user mayselect the application and confirm the download, as seen at Screenshot650. Download and installation then occurs with minimal user input toensure ease of use.

In sum, systems and methods for managing applications on an applianceare provided. While a number of specific examples have been provided toaid in the explanation of the present invention, it is intended that thegiven examples expand, rather than limit the scope of the invention. Forexample, while some embodiments of the invention are illustratedrequiring user authentication right after session initiation, it isentirely within the scope of the invention for authentication to berequired after download and installation of an application and merelyprior to running the application.

While this invention has been described in terms of several preferredembodiments, there are alterations, permutations, modifications andvarious substitute equivalents, which fall within the scope of thisinvention. It should also be noted that there are many alternative waysof implementing the methods and systems of the present invention. It istherefore intended that the following appended claims be interpreted asincluding all such alterations, permutations, modifications, and varioussubstitute equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of thepresent invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for managing applications on anappliance, useful in association with a server, the method comprising:authenticating an appliance using information relating to the appliance;regulating information exchanged between the appliance and a server,wherein the information exchange is supervised by the server, andwherein the appliance is subordinate to the server; and recordingtransactions of the information exchange between the appliance and theserver.
 2. The method, as recited in claim 1, wherein regulatinginformation exchanged between the appliance and the server furthercomprises: receiving a request for an application; supplementing theapplication with an application wrapper, wherein the application wrapperis configurable to be executed on the appliance, and wherein theapplication wrapper is configurable to require validation prior toexecution of the application on the appliance; and deploying thesupplemented application to the appliance.
 3. The method, as recited inclaim 2, wherein regulating information exchanged between the applianceand the server further comprises at least one of authorizing, deletingand disabling the application.
 4. The method, as recited in claim 1,wherein more than one application is managed.
 5. The method, as recitedin claim 1, wherein the regulating information exchanged between theappliance and the server further comprises: searching for and selectingan application; sending a request for the application; downloading theapplication, wherein the downloaded application includes an applicationwrapper; executing the application wrapper; sending appliance data;receiving permission; and executing the application.
 6. The method, asrecited in claim 5, wherein the regulating information exchanged betweenthe appliance and the server further comprises at least one of storing,describing, advertising and retrieving the application.
 7. The method,as recited in claim 5, wherein searching for the application includesusing arbitrary match criteria.
 8. The method, as recited in claim 2,wherein the application is managed in response to the environment of theappliance.
 9. The method, as recited in claim 8, wherein the applicationis at least one of monitored and locked in response to the environmentof the appliance.
 10. The method, as recited in claim 2, furthercomprising augmenting the application.
 11. The method, as recited inclaim 1, wherein the appliance is at least one of monitored and locked.12. The method, as recited in claim 1, wherein the appliance is a mobiledevice.
 13. The method, as recited in claim 5, wherein the applicationis shared between at least two users.
 14. The method, as recited inclaim 13, wherein the shared application is modified by at least one ofthe at least two users.
 15. The method, as recited in claim 1, whereinthe appliance reports its environmental condition.
 16. The method, asrecited in claim 15, wherein the environmental condition includes atleast one of location, relation to user accessories, user access, dateand time.
 17. A system for managing applications on an appliancecomprising: a server configurable to: authenticate an appliance usinginformation relating to the appliance; regulate information exchangedbetween the appliance and the server, wherein the information exchangeis supervised by the server, and wherein the appliance is subordinate tothe server; and record transactions of the information exchange betweenthe appliance and the server.
 18. The system, as recited in claim 17,wherein regulating information exchanged between the appliance and theserver further comprises: receiving a request for an application;supplementing the application with an application wrapper, wherein theapplication wrapper is configurable to be executed on the appliance, andwherein the application wrapper is configurable to require validationprior to execution of the application on the appliance; and deployingthe supplemented application to the appliance.
 19. The system, asrecited in claim 18, wherein the server is further configurable toperform at least one of authorizing, deleting and disabling theapplication.
 20. The system, as recited in claim 19, wherein the serveris further configurable to receive information regarding the environmentof the appliance, and further manage the application in response to theenvironmental information.